In 1919, the world's leaders gathered in Paris to build a lasting peace after the Great War. John Maynard Keynes, a young British economist, was there as an advisor. He watched as the victors, especially France, Britain, and the United States, demanded massive reparations from Germany—money and land they knew Germany could never truly pay. Keynes argued this wasn't justice; it was a death sentence for the German economy and a recipe for future conflict. He resigned in protest and wrote this book to sound the alarm.

Why You Should Read It

This book crackles with urgency. You can feel Keynes's frustration on every page. It's not a cold analysis; it's a passionate argument about how economics drives politics and war. He paints vivid portraits of the leaders (calling French Prime Minister Clemenceau a man with 'one illusion—France, and one disillusion—mankind') and lays out, with frightening clarity, exactly how crushing a defeated nation would backfire. Reading it today, you'll see the roots of the Great Depression, the rise of extremism, and World War II. It's a masterclass in connecting financial policy to human suffering.

Final Verdict

Perfect for anyone who loves political drama, real-life history that reads like a thriller, or wants to understand how the decisions of the past created our present world. It's essential for economics and history fans, but its clear, forceful prose makes it accessible to any curious reader. This is the original, angry tweet thread against bad policy—written a hundred years ago with prophetic accuracy.